ADHD, Perimenopause… or Both?

If you’ve found yourself thinking, “I cannot focus like I used to,” or “Why does everything feel harder all of a sudden?” you’re not imagining it.

For many women, midlife is the moment when things that were once manageable suddenly aren’t. Focus slips. Anxiety spikes. Decision-making feels exhausting. You may even wonder if you’ve developed ADHD out of nowhere.

Here’s the truth most women are never told:

Hormonal shifts during perimenopause can unmask or worsen ADHD-like symptoms—especially in women who’ve spent decades compensating.

This isn’t weakness. It’s physiology.

What’s Actually Happening in the Brain

Estrogen plays a major role in regulating dopamine—the neurotransmitter tied to motivation, focus, and executive function. Progesterone helps calm the nervous system.

During perimenopause, both hormones fluctuate unpredictably.

That fluctuation can look like:

• Brain fog paired with racing thoughts

• Increased anxiety or irritability

• Decision fatigue

• Feeling overwhelmed by tasks that used to feel simple

• A deep sense of “I don’t feel like myself anymore”

  
  

For women with underlying ADHD traits—or neurodivergent brains—these changes can feel abrupt and destabilizing.

Why It Feels So Sudden

Many women compensated for years without realizing it.

They relied on:

• Structure

• Discipline

• Over-functioning

• High achievement

  
  

Then hormones shift.

And the coping strategies that once worked… don’t.

That doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means your body’s needs have changed.

This Is Not About a Label

The real question isn’t “Is this ADHD or perimenopause?”

The better question is:

What does your brain and body need now?

For many women, the answer is a combination of:

• Hormone-aware medical care

• Nervous system regulation

• Stable blood sugar and adequate protein

• Strength training (not overtraining)

• Quality sleep

• Individualized support

  
  

Sometimes medication helps. Sometimes it doesn’t.There is no one-size-fits-all solution here and that’s exactly the point.

Why I Created the Collective

Women deserve clarity, not confusion.

Inside my work, I help women untangle:

• What’s hormonal

• What’s neurological

• What’s lifestyle-driven

• And what to do next

  
  

This is why The Collective exists, and why I also write openly on Substack.

On Substack, I speak directly to women about:

• Neurodivergent brains

• Hormones across the lifespan

• PMDD, ADHD, anxiety, and burnout

• Longevity and nervous system health

  
  

No trends. No fluff. Just context, science, and real-world guidance.

👉 You can read and join me on Substack here: https://drsarahsecorjones.substack.com

If this post resonated, that’s where I go deeper.

Final Word

If you’re struggling right now, hear this clearly:

You are not broken. You are not lazy. You are not failing.

Your body is asking for a different kind of support and that’s something we can work with.

You don’t have to figure it out alone.